A Dark Matter Episode 53

Jenny thought about Mel, down on the slab at the city mortuary. Her devastated parents and brother. She thought about how she would feel if it was Hannah, and felt tears come to her eyes almost immediately.

She swallowed hard and rested her head against one of the fridge doors. The cool metal against her forehead was calming, and she was aware of the weight of her own eyelids. Her body sagged, gravity pulling her down into the earth, where she would be one day, sooner or later.

She had to get out of this funeral home. She had an idea, and walked through the workshop to the garage, picking up the key for the body van on the way, then got in and started driving. It was 15 minutes to Inverleith, but she got snarled in the usual traffic on Lothian Road and Charlotte Square.

She parked in East Fettes Avenue outside Peter Longhorn’s house. She knew the number from the whiteboard back home. She sat for 10 minutes wondering why she came here, what she should do.

She had to feel useful, had to do something, but Thomas had made it clear the police were handling the investigation now, since they found Mel.

She was about to go and ring the doorbell and wing it when a taxi pulled up next to her and Peter got out, handing over money.

He went straight up the path to the house. The taxi drove away as he put his key in the door, but it didn’t open.

He looked confused for a second, tried again, then removed it and took a step back, looked the house up and down as if it had insulted him.

He rang the bell and knocked too. Waited. Tried them both again. Stepped back again.

“Emilia,” he shouted.

No response.

“Emilia.”

Doorbell again, this time constant, dingdong, ding-dong, ding-dong.

His phone went in his pocket and he got angry at the name on the screen. Answered it and looked at the upstairs windows. It was obviously his wife. It was clear what was happening.

His body language was furious as he spoke, the wronged man. His voice was soft as he pointed and gestured, shaking his head, explaining his story. But it was clear he was getting nowhere.

After a few minutes, an upstairs window opened, and Emilia heaved a holdall out, which thumped on the ground by Peter’s feet.

“Emilia, this is crazy,” he said, waving his phone at her.

“Don’t ever speak to me again,” Emilia said. “Except through my solicitor.”

Her voice was calm, stony, her arms folded.

“Just let me in and we can talk,” Peter said. “It’s all a misunderstanding. The police let me go.”

“I don’t care about the police,” Emilia said. “I have to protect our daughter.”

She closed the window and stepped out of sight.

“Em,” Peter shouted. “Em.”

He tried calling her. No answer. He went back and banged the front door some more, but ran out of steam.

Jenny got out of the van and walked to the front gate, up the path.

“How did it go at the police station?” Peter turned and frowned. “Who the hell are you?”

“Jenny Skelf.”

Confused

He stared at her while he put it together. “Hannah’s mum? What do you want?”

“I’m investigating Melanie Cheng’s death.”

He looked confused by that, but let it slide. “Your daughter got me into this mess.”

“You got yourself into it.”

He squared up to her. He was tall but not heavy-set, but any guy could be threatening given enough anger.

“I haven’t done anything wrong,” Peter said.

“You were sleeping with Mel. You got her pregnant. She was going to tell your wife so you strangled her.”

“How dare you,” Peter said, gripping his phone like a weapon. “The police let me go.”

Jenny nodded at the holdall on the ground between them. “I think your wife needs a little more convincing.”

Peter pressed his lips together. “I am going to sue your daughter once this is all over. She broke into my office.”

His body language was furious as he spoke, the wronged man. His voice was soft as he pointed and gestured, shaking his head...

“And found valuable evidence.” “And I’m going to sue the university too.” “Why?”

Peter frowned, looked back at the house. “They’ve suspended me without pay.” “So you admitted seeing Mel?” Peter took a step forwards. “I told the police the truth. We had a thing, yes, but I didn’t know she was pregnant. And I certainly didn’t kill her.”

“What kind of thing?”

Peter didn’t speak.

“I can see why you would go for her,” Jenny said. “But, no offence, what did she see in you?”

Peter chewed on his lip. “She said she liked older men. I didn’t ask too many questions.”

He stared at the holdall and all the life seemed to go out of him. He looked at the house, no sign of Emilia, then he looked at the phone in his hand.

“I’m going to destroy your family, like you’ve destroyed mine,” he said eventually, but it sounded weak, a comeback delivered too late.

Jenny almost felt sorry for him in that moment, but then she remembered Mel’s body down at the city mortuary.

“You’ll get what you deserve,” she said.

He shook his head, picked up the holdall and shouldered it. Took a last look at the house then pushed past Jenny and down the street.

As she watched him go, her phone rang. She pulled it out. Orla.

“He just called me,” Orla said. She sounded hyped. “Says he has to do a training thing, he’ll be home really late. I think this is something.”

Jenny was still pumped with adrenaline. “I told you,” she said. “I don’t think –” “And I told you I don’t believe he’s Picasso or whatever. Just find out what the hell my husband is up to.”

More tomorrow.

A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone is published by Orenda Books, as is Black Hearts, his latest in the same series. orendabooks.co.uk